SteelWeaver said:
See AlsoTalk of the Villages Forums6 Tanning Bed Tips for Beginners - Talking TanTanning Bed Time Chart – Beginners Advice - Talking TanTalk of The Villages Florida
Should one use sun-tanning lotion when using a tanning bed, or does that defeat the whole purpose?Do you lie on the bed completely naked?
Do you ever lie on your side for an even tan?
What about face?
I work at a spa, so here's what I know........
#1) YES! You ALWAYS should wear some type of (tanning) lotion. Tanning makes your skin dry out (thats why most people with acne tan), you may want to start out with Step 1 lotions.....then once you ahve your base color, move onto Step 2.
#2) YES! You can lie on the bed completely nekkid if you wish, unless you do want the tan lines. Now I don't know about some places on their cleanliness, but I spray and wipe down the beds 3 times before I put a new towel, glasses and the "This Bed Has Been Sanitized" sign down.
#3) NOT SURE. I have never heard of anyone lying on their side. I don't think its quite possible actually because you have to pull the top down, and its pretty snug in there for you to be laying on your back. If you're worried about an even tan, then I suggest switching between the bed and the stand up booth. Why? Because when you lay in the bed, you will have the whitness in your armpits, and also there are 2 spots on your back that will not tan in the bed. Those would be pressure points, also known as the tips of your shoulder blades. To get rid of the spots that didn't get color, go in the stand up. I would hate for you to be uncomfortable in the bed by moving your butt cheeks, or rotating your arms, etc.....when I go in the bed, I go for 20min, and always fall asleep. Whatever spots missed, I go in the booth!
#4) The face. In the beds that we have, we have a switch that you can turn off if you do not want your face tanned. There are different bulbs in the beds for this purpose, the upper body and legs need more attention than anything because they don't tan as well as, let's say, your stomach.
There are many a lotions that will get you the color you are going for. Like I said, there are Step 1's that give you your base color for people that don't usually tan. Once you have obtained some color, you can move onto a Step 2 which gives youa deeper color. Some of the Step 2's have reddening and tingling ingredients in them which makes you tingle and feel like your itchy. My favorite to use is called Ferocious, it tingles, but it doesn't bother me. A good Step 2 for some dark color w/out the tingling would be Cappuccino. Most of these in the regular size bottles come expensive. Always remember even when you're not tanning to keep your skin moisturized. There are lotions out there also purposely to help keep the tan sealed in, but if you ask me, its a waste of money, just always have your sking moisturized!
If your skin is capable of tanning well, if you go in the bed, start off between 10-15 min. As you start to get color, you can then stay in for a full 20. The booths are only 10 mintues. If I were you, I'd try twice a week, POSSIBLY 3 times depending on how long you have before your competition. Remember to switch between the bed and the booth so you have no white spots visible (I know the outfits you ladies have to wear, and I think it would be embarrassing to have any white spots whatsoever!). I have a little problem with having these little marks in the pubic area in the fron between my legs that doens't tan well. I mean, they are little lines from where the rays didn't hit because its a crease, so in order to get rid of this, I would probably get a self-tanner. Self tanners aren't really that bad, but if you want a good color, you might want to spend a little more $$$. They really didn't do much for me, I'd rather tan. Make sure you always wash your hands though!!! 
I hope this has helped you somewhat. If you have any further questions, feel free to PM me. I'm reading through the tanning institution book right now to get certified via online.
